ColoradoKote
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
Three Stages of Conversion Coating
Precise chemistry control at every step ensures uniform oxide formation and consistent corrosion protection across every lot.
Multi-Stage Surface Decontamination
Parts move through alkaline cleaning and acid deoxidizing to remove oils, oxides, and handling contaminants. Rinse water conductivity is verified below 10 microsiemens per centimeter between each step to prevent cross-contamination of the conversion bath.
Controlled Chemical Reaction
Parts are immersed in MIL-DTL-5541 conversion solution at 70-90 degrees F for 2-5 minutes. Solution concentration is monitored daily through titration. Temperature is held within 5 degrees F of specification to ensure uniform oxide layer formation.
Deionized Water Rinse and Inspection
Multi-stage deionized water rinses remove all residual chemistry. Visual inspection confirms uniform coating color and coverage. Coating weight is measured at 40-100 mg per square foot to verify specification compliance before release.
The Chemical Conversion Coating Process
Chemical conversion coatings create a thin oxide layer on aluminum that improves corrosion resistance and promotes adhesion for subsequent coatings. ColoradoKote processes Type I and Type II formulations under AS9100 protocols with full solution monitoring and lot traceability.
What Our Conversion Coating Delivers
Process parameters are monitored, recorded, and traceable to each lot for complete quality documentation.
Hours Salt Spray Resistance
Type I Class 1A conversion coating delivers 168+ hours of salt spray resistance per ASTM B117. The protective oxide barrier guards against moisture, salt spray, and galvanic contact on aluminum alloys including 2024, 6061, and 7075.
Full Lot Traceability
Solution concentration, temperature logs, immersion times, and visual inspection results are recorded and traceable to each lot number. Your Certificate of Conformance contains all process parameters and coating weight measurements.
Coating Thickness
Conversion coating forms at under 1 micron thickness, creating zero dimensional change to machined parts. Thread fits, bearing surfaces, and mating components remain unaffected while gaining corrosion protection and enhanced coating adhesion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
The combined stack provides layered protection: chemical conversion coating creates an adhesion-promoting base and initial corrosion barrier, passivation removes free iron and surface contaminants, and Cerakote delivers the final 3,000-hour salt spray barrier (ASTM B117). Running all three processes under one roof at ColoradoKote eliminates the handling damage and contamination risk of shipping parts between multiple vendors for each step.
Yes. We perform sandblasting at 80 to 100 PSI for surface preparation, chemical conversion for aluminum substrates, passivation for stainless steel, and Cerakote ceramic topcoat, all under one roof. This consolidated stack eliminates multi-vendor coordination, reduces shipping damage risk, and compresses your production timeline. One purchase order, one quality system, one point of accountability.
Yes. Fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and soil amendments contain aggressive compounds that penetrate raw AM surface porosity and attack the substrate from within. Cerakote seals this porosity and provides a continuous chemical barrier that raw PA12, PA11, and metal AM surfaces cannot achieve. For AM components on sprayer systems, chemical application equipment, and seed treatment machinery, the sealed Cerakote finish is the difference between a part that survives one season and one that lasts years.
Yes. Surgical instruments with tight tolerances and polished working surfaces receive precision masking before blasting. Only surfaces designated for coating receive blast preparation. Working edges, articulating surfaces, and critical dimensions are protected. Blast pressure and dwell time are controlled to achieve adequate profile depth without measurable dimensional change on the exposed surfaces. The full masking plan is documented and reviewed against your engineering requirements.
Every aerospace order ships with a Certificate of Conformance that includes material lot numbers, coating thickness measurements, cure parameters, and visual inspection results. Our AS9100 quality management system maintains full traceability from raw material receiving through final packaging. We support customer-specific documentation requirements and can accommodate source inspection visits at our Johnstown, CO facility.
Ready for Conversion Coating
Provide your aluminum part specifications and required MIL-DTL compliance level. Receive a quote with processing details and lead time.